The Night the Dragon Cried
by xYuuYanx
Summary: General Iroh remembers the event that changed him forever : the death of his son


** THE NIGHT THE DRAGON CRIED**

It was a windy night in the Earth Kingdom's royal palace, the center of the great city of Ba Sing Se. Iroh, the old general of the fire nation, and now an ambassador of peace, sat on the balcony, looking down at the sleeping city below. He sipped his favorite ginseng tea, gazing at the moon while feeling the cold, crisp wind caress his face like a gentle silk cloth. He smiled, a happy smile, a painful smile, the smile of an old man who has experienced terrible pain, but is now glad that he lived through it. Hot tea, a great view, all he needed now was company. Luckily, King Bumi of Omashu, also present for the ongoing peace treaty, came by and saw the old man by himself. The wise old king decided to meet the man so instrumental for bringing peace to the world and improving the relations of the fire nation with the other countries.

"Out enjoying the night I see." said King Bumi as he walked toward Iroh's table. "I hope you have more tea."

"I always have enough tea for a friend." Iroh replied. The old king sat by Iroh. He stomped his foot on the marble floor, and out of the floor popped up a marble tea cup which he caught with his hand in mid-air. Iroh laughed. "That's a good trick, but fire-baked tea cups make for better tea."

"I'll take your word for it." King Bumi poured himself some of Iroh's tea. "When I see a man stare so deeply in the sky, I know he has something in his mind."

Iroh sipped his tea.

"I see your pain, General Iroh. You have much history in this city."

"Yes, I do. It feels like it happened just yesterday."

The memories were burned into Iroh's mind, indelible. No matter how many years have passed, nor how many things have happened, he will never forget that day.

It all started in the Fire Nation years ago.

Prince Iroh, son of Firelord Azulon, was still the leader of the Fire nation's vast and powerful army. He seemed gentle enough, always smiling, always jolly, that it was hard to imagine how cold, cruel and vicious he really was. But he WAS that. Underneath his kind and cheerful image was a man feared by everyone, a warrior, a conqueror fierce and brutal. When in battle he transformed from a jovial old man, one any person could endear himself to, into a terrifying beast that burned and destroyed everything in his sight. Those who've seen him fight mistook him for the devil himself. By his hand many Earth Kingdom cities fell. Under his leadership he savagely pillaged village after village, taking no prisoners, sparing no one, not even women and children. No, underneath that fatherly exterior, there was a dragon, a vile dragon, an evil dragon, the dragon of the west.

Soon most of the Earth kingdom cities have fallen into his hands until only two were left: Omashu, the city atop a mountain, and Ba Sing Se, the great walled city. The choice for the next target was obvious. An army of firebenders and footsoldiers, greater than any the world has ever seen, was assembled. A plan was made, and back-up plans were written just in case. This was it. The time had come for the great walled city to come down, and Prince Iroh, the dragon of the west, will set out to do what was though to be impossible.

The eve before the march to Ba Sing Se, Iroh ate dinner with his son, prince Lu Ten, who was looking solemn.

"Are you not happy with the food, Lu Ten?" Iroh asked. "You better eat. Tomorrow we begin a long journey."

Lu Ten kept quiet.

"Is something bothering you, my son?"

"Father, I. . ." Lu Ten could say no more. He was afraid to speak. Already he knew how his father would react if he continued.

'Say it." The tone of Iroh's voice was sweet, but Lu Ten knew Iroh too well. It was a command for him to speak his mind.

"Father, I don't think we should continue the invasion."

"What?"

"Oh what was I thinking?" Lu Ten asked himself. It was stupid of him to protest, He decided to stay silent.

"Why do you think that, my son?"

Lu Ten did not speak. Iroh's eyebrows furrowed, and he smashed his fist onto the table. The plates and utensils shook, the glasses of wine toppled over. Had the table not been made of good quality wood, it would have broken in half. "ANSWER ME!!" he roared. The servants around them froze in terror, sweat dripping from their foreheads as they watched the tense scene. They prayed that Lu Ten not enrage his father any more. His fits could be destructive.

"I think we've conquered enough, father." Said Lu Ten, in a deep strong voice that hid how frightened he really was. "Almost all of the Earth Kingdom is ours. Maybe its time we stopped invading and started to do what we meant to do: Educate the people, teach them proper culture, spread the wealth of the empire to all the land. Isn't that why Firelord Sozin began this war?"

'NONSENSE! Those who oppose the fire nation will fall!!"

"But peace is a much better method!"

"How could I have raised such a weakling of a man?!" cried Iroh. "You expect to inherit the throne?! Then what?! You will poison the minds of our people with your. . your. . your ideas of weakness?! You are MY son!!"

"Opting for peace is NOT weakness!!" Lu Ten insisted.

"QUIET!!!" In his rage Iroh picked up his glass of wine and splashed the wine at his son. He was disgusted by Lu Ten's ideology. "You give me those words at the eve of the great march?! BAH! Leave this table!! I don't want to hear about this anymore."

"FINE!" yelled Lu Ten. "Then I am NOT coming with you to Ba Sing Se!"

The devil inside Iroh took control of him. Everyone could feel the heat emanating from his body. "You WILL come! Don't you dare shame me in front of my generals, or you will face me in the fiery pit."

To face one in the fiery pit, it meant only one thing: an Agni Kai. Lu Ten knew he was treading on thin ice. He bowed to Iroh and said "Forgive me father. I have spoken in disrespect. I will now take my leave, and tomorrow I will march with you to Ba Sing Se."

Iroh returned to his old self. "Very Good. Rest well my son."

Soberly, Lu Ten Marched away, wiping off his face the wine Iroh threw at him.

"I never forgave myself for that." Said Iroh. Kung Bumi listened intently, gazing at Iroh wile he sipped his tea. Even now it was hard to visualize him as such a cold man.

"Your son, Lu Ten, he sounded like a very kind boy." Said Bumi.

'Yes, he was very kind, very smart too. He was a capable lieutenant and a good soldier. He always charmed his way into everything. He used his wits to get what he wanted, instead of using force. Everybody loved him, soldiers, generals, and women. Hehe, especially women. If he has a son or a daughter out there that I do not know of, I wouldn't be surprised."

"You sound very proud of him."

"I am. I am. But you see, I was a different person then. I thought he was weak. Not weak in body, or weak at firebending, but weak at heart. I loved him so much, but I just could not understand his desire for peace."

The siege began, and Iroh led the army toward the city. Fire and Earth clashed in a great and epic battle, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, firebenders and earthbenders, giving it their all in defense of their nation's beliefs. It was sheer carnage on a scale too large for words. Battle cries and screams of agony, of men being seared alive, of men being squished by rocks. Both sides were unrelenting. No one was safe. From the lowliest of privates to the highest of generals, none escaped the chaos that ensued. Death was only seconds away, and only the strong lived to fight, and die, another day. The grounds outside Ba Sing Se became a wasteland, filled with the stench of corpses that were too numerous to count, and anyone who tried to count them will only fail. Many of the bodies were in torn pieces, and many other bodies were reduced to ashes. Days passed, and then weeks, of the same.

But soon the fire nation started to gain the upper hand. The great Prince Iroh was a force too strong for Ba Sing Se. Wisely, he cut off all the supplies coming into the city, and all sources of water had either been rerouted or polluted, making Ba Sing Se uninhabitable. The earthbenders began to weaken, their morale falling every day. The wall they had depended on had become a cage.

One day, on their camps, Lu Ten sat beside a fire nation soldier, chatting away the minutes. The soldier was young, a mere eighteen year-old boy drafted for the cause. He looked tired and depressed. He held his helmet in front of him, gazing at it. It had a dent on top, made when a stray piece of rock hit it in battle.

"It's so sickening, this war." the soldier said. Even the fire nation was weary of the battles. "Every time I burn someone, I feel a part of myself die with him."

"To be honest, I feel the same." said Lu Ten. "We are all humans after all, so in a way we're all connected. We may be enemies, but when I see someone die, I just can't help but feel sorry. And we've been doing this for so long, I've taken the lives of so many people, I feel like I'm . ."

"Yes sir?"

"I feel like I'm losing my humanity. I feel like I'm becoming an animal."

"Sir, will this ever end?"

Lu Ten smiled and looked to the horizon, brimming with hope. "I know this will end. Some day it will end, and peace will find its way to the world. Everyone will be happy again, and balance will be restored."

A large shadow loomed over Lu Ten, and he felt the gaze of evil upon him. He shivered in terror, knowing who it was that stood behind him. He looked up and saw the devil's fiery red glow.

"To my tent, Lu Ten." Said Iroh.

Lu Ten followed his father to the tent, where, as soon as the two had their privacy, Iroh swung his heavy palm and slapped the man in his face. Lu Ten reeled from the blow, his cheeks turning black and blue. Iroh yelled at the top of his lung, 'WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, FOOL!!! YOU DARE SHOW WEAKNESS IN FRONT OF YOUR MEN?!?! IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAR?!?! ARE YOU LOWERING OUR MORALE??!! YOU ARE MY SON!! THE LEADER'S SON!! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW HEAVY YOUR WORDS ARE?!?!"

"But Father, Aren't you appalled by all this?! The bloodshed, the mayhem? Our men are dying too!"

Again he slapped Lu Ten, and this time the young man fell to the ground. "When will get a spine, Lu Ten?! All this is a necessary sacrifice. The deaths of our men bring the glory of the fire nation to the world! This war will bring good to everyone!"

"Nothing good can ever come from a war! It will only bring us pain! "

Enraged, Iroh stormed out of the tent. He took a deep breath and yelled. "Know this, soldiers of the fire nation! From now onwards, Prince Lu Ten is no longer an officer! He is demoted to foot soldier, and will fight in the frontlines!"

Lu Ten heard this and his heart broke. This was not the Iroh he once knew. The father in his memories was kind, loving and caring. The war had robbed him of his father, and gave back a tyrant. Iroh stepped back into the tent and faced him. "Maybe now," he said, "You'll learn the meaning of strength."

"My generals warned me it was a bad decision." Iroh told King Bumi. 'The enemy knew he was my son, and he would surely be targeted. The future heir must not be put to such danger, but I was a stubborn fool."

Eventually, Iroh brought down Ba Sing Se's outer wall. The men of the fire nation rejoiced. A celebration was held, but Iroh refused to see his son in the festivity. To him, Lu Ten was a lowly grunt. He gave command to the guards of his tent that should Lu Ten try to enter, he must be refused. And Lu Ten did try to enter, to congratulate his father on his upcoming victory. The guards, though, having received the order, blocked his path. He tried convincing the guards using his charm and charisma, but the order was absolute. With much pain and humiliation, Lu Ten left. Iroh knew this, in fact, through shadows on the tent, he saw what occurred. His heart bled because he loved his son, and inside he truly wanted to celebrate with Lu Ten, but his pride got the better of him. Oh, if only he knew what was to happen the next day.

Iroh, with victory in his grasp, led the assault on Ba Sing Se's inner wall. It was a cold windy night, and the moon rose high above the clear black sky, like a shining pearl in the middle of a deep ocean. The Earth Kingdom's men have visibly thinned, but their hearts were still as courageous as ever. Despite being outnumbered they fought with ferocity, knowing they have nothing left to lose. They matched the firebenders' aggression, pouring all their sorrow, anger and grief into the rocks they flung at the enemy. The fire nation army have never had it so difficult. Still, with superior numbers and tactical positioning on their side, they were bound to win.

Iroh was in the front lines, mowing down earthbender after earthbender, when it happened. He saw it happen in front of him, though he was too far away to do anything about it. Lu Ten, in all the confusion, got surrounded by seven earthbenders. They knew who he was, and they felt that it was their time to take revenge on the dragon's son. The brave prince fought them off as best as he could, but not even he could succeed in such a hopeless situation. Rock after rock pelted him. Pillars of earth rose from the ground, hammering at his body like heavy battering rams over and over again, shattering his ribs, his hips, his shin, and finally, the finishing blow: a column of earth rose from the dusty ground and struck him at the back, instantly braking his spine. Lu Ten, prince of the Fire Nation, fell like a rag doll in the battlefield. He had breathed his last.

All this Iroh saw, like a demonic hallucination. His eyes grew large, filled with horror. His mind replayed the scene over and over again, checking his reality. No, this couldn't happen! This could never happened! But it did. His son, His Beloved Lu Ten, the jewel of his life, was dead.

A terrible scream exploded throughout the battle field. Shouts of despair, shouts of the name 'LU TEN! LU TEN! LU TEN!" Every soldier knew it was the dragon of the west who was screaming so desperately. Iroh had to go see his son. He ran toward Lu Ten, slaughtering those who stood in his way, and with every swing of his arm he unleashed a torrent of flame so intense, so massive that it could take down five men at one time. Every soldier in the field witnessed Iroh's terrible rage, a rage matched by his agony. He went wild, bringing forth enormous walls of flame and scorching earthbenders into charcoal. His rampage was enough to strike terror into the hearts of the enemy, and they retreated into the inner city. Iroh was simply too powerful for them.

Iroh reached his dead son, kneeling in front of him and picking him up into his arms. He embraced Lu Ten tightly, feeling the fragments of his broken bones. The dragon felt agony, terrible agony that he never felt in his life. Tears fell from his eyes, but they evaporated immediately once they touched his cheeks. His chest felt tight, too tight to breathe. Firebenders began to surround them, and they felt the sorrowful heat radiate from Iroh's body. Iroh, in his anguish, could hold it in no longer. He look up to the skies and wailed, and from his mouth came a surge of fire, so intense that it turned the night sky bright as day.

Morning came, but the great prince never fell asleep. He decided to step outside, Maybe some air will do him good. He saw his soldiers, injures, bloody, laying on the ground tending to their wounds, but it was when he saw the battlefield that he realized what Lu Ten meant. So much carnage, so much loss, and for every one dead soldier, there was a mother, a father, a wife and children who felt the unbearable grief, the same one torturing him today.

His lips trembling, Iroh spoke to himself. "So, this is what you've been telling me all along. I'm sorry my son."

A ceremonious funeral was held in Lu Ten's honor. His body laid on a platform of wood, covered in garlands of flowers. All of the fire nation's soldiers stood in front of the body, paying their respects to the good prince. In reverence they listened as the generals spoke to them, recanting stories of the young prince, of how he was a brilliant young man, with noble hopes and ambitions, of how he treated every solider with respect, regardless of class and rank, of how he led his men bravely into combat. Everyone was touched, for all those stories were true, and all of them had experienced Lu Ten's kindness at one point. Finally, it was time for Prince Iroh to speak. Despite being devastated by his loss, he still looked composed, his armor still shiny, his grey hair and beard still neat and combed. General Iroh looked up to his men, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Gather all our things. We are going home."

The crowd buzzed. Did they hear him right? A general came up to Iroh and spoke to him. "Sir, what are you saying?"

"Didn't you hear me, General Tzu? I said we're going home."

The generals and the crowd grew into a ruckus. Why? Why should they go home, when victory was so close? What right did Iroh have to cancel the attack when he was not the only one who lost a loved one in the war. Many men sacrificed their sons, brothers and fathers to this cause, how dare Iroh throw their lives away in vain? The men were enraged, but none of them dared to object. He was STILL the dragon of the west, still strong, still unpredictable. They had no choice but to obey, but they did so with a grudge.

Iroh knew what he was doing. He knew he would fall from grace. He knew the generals would eat him away after this, smearing dirt to his name and announcing his cowardly deed to the empire. But he didn't care. Lu Ten wanted peace, and peace he would bring. He swore it to himself, and he swore it to the memory of his dead son. The war will stop, and he will convince his father, Firelord Azulon, to end all this. It was the only way Lu Ten would ever forgive him. It was the only way he could honor his son.

"But when I made it home, it was too late." Iroh told Bumi, who had not touched his tea since Iroh began his story. He was too captivated by the old man's tale. "My father had died, and Ozai had taken the throne. I did not bother speaking to Ozai about Lu Ten's ideals. He was just as stubborn as me."

"But look at it now, General Iroh." said Bumi. "Look at your work."

Midnight. The time had come. The festival of brotherhood now begins. The sleeping city awakened, and people rushed to the streets. Fire nation ships docked at the harbor, and men and women of the fire nation, riding free of charge on the ships, came over and rushed into city forming a flood of tourists. They explored the fabled city of Ba Sing Se, taking in the new sights, the archeology, the people. Happy music echoed from the streets. It was the music of people meeting new friends, and the music of culture meeting new culture. The clear sky exploded into bright and colorful light, with the fire nation and earth kingdom giving a free fireworks show, exhibiting their different pyrotechnics. This was a merry-making that would forge the bond between the fire nation and earth kingdom. Wine flowed and men and women danced, and the citizens of two countries, once enemies, united in celebration. All was forgiven and all was forgotten. The time for peace had come.

"I'm sure Lu Ten is very proud of you." Bumi said, laying his hand on the old general's shoulder. Iroh looked up to the fireworks and smiled. Joyful tears rolled from his eyes.

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End file.
